NYC DOT Seeking Programming Partners for 2026 Summer Streets, Car-Free Earth Day

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2026  
Contact: (212) 839-4850, [email protected]

NYC DOT Seeking Programming Partners for 2026 Summer Streets, Car-Free Earth Day

Programming partners must submit applications by March 6 for Car-Free Earth Day and June 26 for Summer Streets

Programming at Summer Streets 2025 in The Bronx

NEW YORK - New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today opened a call for programming partners to help shape this year's Summer Streets and Car-Free Earth Day. Businesses, nonprofit and community-based organizations, performers, artists, and educational institutions can apply online. Organizations can visit nyc.gov/summerstreets and nyc.gov/carfreenyc to learn more.

"From Summer Streets to Car-Free Earth Day, our citywide events are a celebration of this city, its people, and the full potential of our streets as collective public spaces," said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn. "I encourage every artist, performer, and community-based organization interested in participating in these iconic events to reach out and help us make this year's events unforgettable experiences."

Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City's most valuable public space-our streets. Miles of NYC's streets are open in both directions for people to play, walk, and bike while taking a break at the rest stops along the route to enjoy free activities. Photos from Summer Streets 2025 are available on Flickr.

Car-Free Earth Day is an annual event to celebrate Earth Day by promoting environmental activism and education. The event is typically held on the Saturday before or immediately after Earth Day and features programming at signature and partner locations citywide, focusing on climate change, sustainability, and related topics. Photos from Car-Free Earth Day 2025 are available on Flickr.

As with every year, NYC DOT will announce dates and times for each event in the coming months.

Programming at Summer Streets 2025 on Staten Island

Programming Partner Submissions

NYC DOT invites performers, fitness professionals, nonprofits, artists and community-based organizations, to help shape NYC's citywide signature events. Programming partners will need to provide their contact information, the type of activity they will provide, any materials they will need, and their preferred boroughs to participate in. Partners must submit separate application forms for each event. Forms for Car-Free Earth Day should be completed by March 6, while forms for Summer Streets are due by June 26, or until programming capacity is filled, whichever is sooner.

Art Installations Submissions

NYC DOT Art invites eligible professional artists to submit proposals for new or existing art installations to be considered for display at Car-Free Earth Day or Summer Streets events in 2026. The agency is conducting the search through a new Signature Events Art Installations 2026 RFP (pdf). The selected artist(s) for Car Free Earth-Day will create a one-day art installation and may receive up to $10,000. The selected artist(s) for Summer Streets will create art installations to be displayed on at least two dates and may receive up to $20,000 to cover project-related costs. Large-scale installations with potential to be displayed at all Summer Streets events (spanning multiple weekends) may be eligible for a budget of up to $50,000.

Strong applications will contain a clear written concept and rendering that reflect the event's mission, are conscientious of rain or shine weather conditions, can be installed and deinstalled within an hour, and provide past work samples that demonstrate the artist's experience to successfully execute the proposal. Proposals that include interactive elements or complimentary programming to the artwork are strongly encouraged. Performances, mural art, and programming alone are not appropriate submissions for this art opportunity.

Artists are invited to submit proposals via the Signature Events Art Interventions Request for Proposals 2026 on Submittable. This RFP has been extended and will close on Wednesday, February 11th, 2026, at 11:59pm EST.

About NYC DOT Art

The New York City Department of Transportation's Art Program, NYC DOT Art, partners with organizations and professional artists to present temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to eleven months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections, and eye-catching sculptures. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Since 2008, NYC DOT Art has produced nearly 530 temporary artworks citywide. For more information, visit @nyc_DOTArt on Instagram or nyc.gov/DOTart.